Who Should I Start? Kyle Juszczyk or Israel Abanikanda

Saturday, March 15, 11:19 AM

Nine-time Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk re-signed with the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday on a two-year, $8 million deal, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Juszczyk will return to the Bay Area for his ninth year after the Niners released him back on Monday. The 33-year-old has never been on the fantasy radar, but he will continue to be a key blocking asset in the team's backfield for starting running back Christian McCaffrey (knee) in 2025. When Juszczyk does factor in on offense, it's usually through the air as a receiver. In his 12-year NFL career, he's caught 281 passes on 378 targets for 2,664 yards and 18 total touchdowns while carrying the ball only 67 times for 237 yards and six TDs. Last year in 17 games (15 starts), he had 19 catches on 31 targets for 200 yards and two scores, adding just five carries for 26 yards and one TD.

Monday, September 9, 7:44 PM

New York Jets running back Israel Abanikanda is a healthy scratch for the team's Week 1 regular-season opener at Levi's Stadium on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers. Abanikanda enters the 2024 season as the team's RB4 behind starter and bell-cow Breece Hall and rookies Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. As such, the 21-year-old is obviously off the fantasy radar in most single-year leagues for the time being unless injuries push him into a relevant game-day role. The former fifth-round pick out of Pittsburgh last year was also buried on the depth chart in his rookie season and finished with 22 carries for 70 yards while catching seven passes for 43 yards in only six games. Abanikanda has breakaway speed but is once again buried on the depth chart and will have to wait for his opportunity beyond Week 1.